Brenton Bristol was the victim of a fatal car accident caused by a collision with animals in the roadway
It’s with a saddened heart and overwhelming grief that I write to your news portal today.
Since the accident on Friars Hill Road last Friday, I’ve been mourning my friend, Brenton Bristol, and the pain feels heavier with each passing day. It still doesn’t feel real. One moment, he was here with us, full of life, warmth, and plans for the future, and in an instant, he was taken away.
Brenton was not just another name in a headline. He was a friend who made ordinary days brighter. He was the person you could count on for a smile, a helping hand, or a good laugh when you needed it most. Losing him so suddenly has left those of us who loved him struggling to understand how such a vibrant soul could be gone because of an animal wandering onto the road.
As I grieve, my sorrow is tangled with frustration, because this is not the first life lost on our roads under similar circumstances. How many more friends, brothers, mothers, and fathers must we bury before something changes? How many more families must receive that devastating phone call? Every time I pass a stretch of road where animals roam freely, I wonder whose life might be next.
Brenton deserved better. We all do. Roads should not be death traps where drivers must choose between swerving into danger or crashing into animals they had no chance to avoid. This tragedy raises a painful but necessary question: how many more people will have to die before we take meaningful action to prevent these accidents?
I write this letter not only in memory of my friend, but in hope, hope that his death will not be another statistic, hope that the authorities and our community will finally address the dangers that have been ignored for too long. No one should have to mourn a loved one in this way again.
Grieving,
Javorne Moore
I feel and hear your grief. Yet still, I did not read of any responsibility placed at the feet of the driver. From all reports they were under tremendous speed .
To this maelstrom, add the poorly lit roads.
Let’s put everything in its place.
1. Drivers must exercise due care and attention while behind any mechanical device.
2. APUA needs to expedite the road lighting program as announced.
3. Animal owners should be more responsible with their animals. They don’t follow the rules of road use. So you the owner must ensure they don’t become “death traps “ on our roads.
4. If the animals are feral, Ministry of Agriculture may have to engage in either culling to manage the numbers and or explore other humane ways to deal with this.
I suggest that you channel your grief into something positive. You will help others not to be in this position as you are now
@Kutabv. I was about to pen a similar response, so I’ll just say “ditto”, to the response above. Our young drivers NEED to slow down on the roads.
@Javorne: I feel your pain and offer my sincerest condolences to you, to his family, and to all who are deeply mourning Brenton’s unfortunate and untimely passing.
You will find animals blocking roads worldwide.
Sensible drivers engage their brakes.
What to do when you see animals on the road:
1: Put your hazard lights on to notify other drivers.
2: Engage your brakes to slow down or perform an emergency stop (apply common sense).
3: Wait for the animals to cross.
4: If the animals are stubborn, beep your horn or drive forward very slowly and they will usually move on.
5: Once safe to do so, drive past the animals very slowly.
We share this world with animals. Everyone should drive with care, patience, and consideration for others (animals included).
Antigua has a lot of reckless, dangerous, and stupid drivers.
A country of Antigua’s size should NOT have frequent road traffic accidents.
Why are people driving at excessive speeds?
I was about to pen a similar response, so I’ll just say “ditto”, to the responses above. Our young drivers NEED to slow down on the roads.
I feel your pain and offer my sincerest condolences to you Javorne and to all who are deeply mourning Brenton’s unfortunate and untimely passing.
My condolences to his family who have lost lives once through vehicle accident. May there getting soul rest in
It is like walking the streets in your neighborhood with a vicious dog live on it—-you walk with caution. Antigua is a small Caribbean that is well known to have stray animals roaming the streets especially at nights—so drive with caution to avoid serious accidents that can lead to death.
If you thief the animal the owner will come forward but when there are accidents involving animals they mute
It’s time for fines that actually mean something. Lives are worth more than excuses.
If the government cannot control livestock on public roads, then the public is not safe. Simple as that.
They can’t control livestock on the roads nor can they have the roads well lit so people can see properly at nights
Inattentive animals on the road + inattentive animals behind the wheels = a deadly combination.
I’ve seen animals on the road nearly every day. It’s not just sad, it’s dangerous. We need solutions, not excuses.
@Kutabv. I was about to pen a similar response, so I’ll just say “ditto”, to the response above. Our young drivers NEED to slow down on the roads.
@Javorne: I feel your pain and offer my sincerest condolences to you, to his family, and to all who are deeply mourning Brenton’s unfortunate and untimely passing.
That accident could have been avoided. Even if there was a cow in the road he was going fast
Caring for animals includes securing them. Neglect should carry consequences not just sympathy.
Bring back pounds. Capture the the unfettered animals and charge the owners to get them back or sell to the highest bidder if no owner presents himself. Slaughter and sell the meat in the case of goats, sheep. and cows. Euthanize the unclaimed donkeys, horses and the like. APUA must do your part in providing adequate lighting because a driver cannot avoid an animal he cannot see or sees at the last minute. Drivers use caution. I’ve personally witnessed some seriously reckless driving( on pot hole filled roads at that) that truly alarmed me.
We’ve been talking about this issue for YEARS. How many more lives before action replaces promises?
This is not “an accident” it’s the result of ongoing neglect. The system failed Brenton.